Angela’s Ashes: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Frank and his friends at school plan to go on a bicycling trip to the nearby town of Killaloe. Frank borrows a bike from Laman, and looks forward to his trip. In the meantime, he entertains himself by reading. He’s especially fascinated with Butler’s Lives of the Saints. He learns more about Catholicism by reading the books. He finds the concepts of intercourse and copulation peculiar.

In school, Frank does well. His teacher, O’Halloran, tells him that he has a sharp mind, and could make a good priest or politician. Angela, recognizing her son’s intelligence, takes him to the local Christian Brothers School—a secondary school where many wealthy families send their children. Angela speaks to priests who run the school, and they assure her that there’s no room at the school. Angela is upset, and she tells Frank that he must never let anyone “shut the door in his face” again. Frank replies that he wants a job, not more education. After he finishes at his current school, he’ll have no more school to attend.

Frank discovers the concept of sex. He has wet dreams, and begins masturbating. In school, priests tell him that it’s wicked to enjoy sex out of marriage. Frank confesses his sins to priests, who tell him that he must repent or go to hell forever. Frank struggles to understand how sex could be a sin, especially since his most pleasurable sexual experiences take place in his dreams, when he isn’t in control of his thoughts.

As Frank’s education draws to a close, priests attend his school and try to recruit students to become missionaries. Although O’Halloran urges him to go to America, Frank becomes interested in a missionary program with the Bedouin tribes. Frank convinces a parish priest to write him a recommendation letter. The priest claims that Frank, with his talent, could easily have gone into the program last year. Frank also needs a doctor’s note to prove that he’s healthy enough to travel. When he goes to a doctor, however, the doctor tells him to “go home to your mother.” As a result, Frank is unable to apply for the missionary program.

Frank is scheduled to go off on his biking trip to Killaloe tomorrow. That night, Laman Griffin comes home, very drunk. Frank reminds Laman that he’ll need his bike for tomorrow. Laman angrily tells Frank that he’s been neglecting his duties—Frank has forgotten to empty the chamber pot. As a result, Laman doesn’t give Frank the bicycle. Frank, furious, says that Laman can’t tell him what to do. Laman punches Frank in the shoulder and the head. Angela, who’s been watching this scene, begins to scream. Laman snorts and then eats some fish and chips.

Frank goes to bed, crying and angry. He dreams of leaving Ireland and going to America. As he climbs into his bed, he hears the sound of Angela walking to Laman’s bed and lying down with him. That night, he continues to hear her crying and making strange noises. He recalls that Angela and Laman have slept in the same bed, “grunting, moaning,” for a long time now.

Late at night, Frank wakes up, hungry. He goes wandering through the streets, hoping to run into an uncle or friend who can feed him. After a long period of searching, he realizes that he has no way of getting food. Then he sees his uncle Ab Sheehan. Ab, who notices that Frank has been punched in the face, takes him to his home. Inside, Frank sees the remains of a container of fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper. Frank is so desperate for food that he licks the newspaper, which is still stained with grease.